Marking apparatus



Dec. 31, 1957 A. J. ALESSI, JR., ETAL MARKING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed March 18, 1954 WWW,

ATTORNEX' Dec. 31, 1957 A.J. A'LESSI, JR., ETAL 2,818,016

MARKING APPARATUS Filed March 18, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 an \\M 7 JHII IIN 1 hr/;////////// z E a a M m Dec. 31, 1957 A. JIALESSI, JR., ETAL A 72,818,016

MARKING APPARATUS Filed March 18, 1954 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United StatesPatent pie MARKHJG APPARATUS Andrew J. Alessi, Jr., Colonia, N. J., andMalcolm Hirschey, Woodside, N. Y., assignors to Adolph Gottscho, Inc.,Hillside, N. J., a corporation of New York Application March 18, 1954,Serial No. 417,062

15 Claims. (Cl. 10135) and includes a die or marking wheel supported forrotation about a vertical axis in a position effecting rolling andmarking contact with the side surfaces of the successive conveyedarticles, cartons, boxes and the like, as the latter move past thatposition or marking station. The apparatus includes an arrangement foreffecting rotation of the marking or die wheel in synchronism with themovement of the articles along the related conveyor'to avoid relativemovement of the marking wheel and article during marking of the latter,and a system for applying ink to the raised or etched marking elementsmounted on the periphery of the marking wheel.

A general object of the invention is to provide marking apparatus of thedescribed character which is sturdier, less difficult to produce andmaintain, and more adaptable to different conditions than existingmarking apparatus.

More specifically, an object of the present invention is to providemarking apparatus of the described charac' ter wherein the die ormarking wheel is supported at both the top and bottom thereof toeliminate the necessity of including a heavy and accurately machinedsupporting structure for maintaining parallelism between the axes of thedie or marking wheel and the metering roll of the ink supplying system.

Another object is to provide an arrangement for driving the die ormarking wheel which dispenses with the customary compound gears andeliminates the noise of operation associated with the latter.

Another object is to provide marking apparatus of the describedcharacter wherein the die or marking wheel is in the form of a hollowand inexpensive shell which can be conveniently removed from itssupporting structure to decrease the cost of maintaining a supply ofspare marking wheels whereby different legends may be provided inadvance on spare marking wheels for ready substitution.

Another object is to provide means in marking apparatus of the describedcharacter for effecting vertically axial movement of thedie or markingwheel, while the apparatus is in operation or at rest, to provide foradjustment of the level or vertical location of the inked marking orimpression applied to the side surfaces of the successive conveyedarticles.

Another object is to provide marking apparatus of the describedcharacter in the form of a compact and selfcontained printing head whichincludes an easily replaceable component embodying an ink reservoir,pumping means and ink supplying roll for receiving the pumped ink andtransferring the ink to the metering roll with Patented Dee. 3'5,

which it is normally in rolling contact so that the above mentionedcomponent can be replaced when the color of the inked impression ischanged to avoid the necessity of cleaning out a permanently installedink supplying arrangement, as in the existing apparatus.

A further object is to provide an ink supplying system in a markingapparatus of the described character wherein the pumping means is drivenfrom the associated conveyor through a transmission which is made up, atleast in part, of the transmission driving the die or marking wheel toavoid the separate pump driving motors customarily used for that purposein the existing apparatus, and wherein couplings or long hoseconnections are avoided in the ducts feeding ink from the pump andreturning excess ink to the pump to eliminate the clogging'of inkcommonly experienced at such couplings and hose connections in theexisting apparatus.

Still another object of the present invention is to pro vide means inmarking apparatus of the described character for adjusting the locationof the inked marking applied to the successive conveyed articles in thedirection of movement of the latter without requiring any interruptionin the operation of the apparatus.

A still further object is to provide marking apparatus of the describedcharacter which is constructed to accommodate marking or die wheels ofdifferent diameters so that the die wheel can be replaced at any time byone having the most desirable diameter in view of the character, forexample, rigidity, of the articles being marked or the space between thesuccessive articles on the associated conveyor.

In accordance with the invention, marking apparatus includes a frame formounting adjacent one side or the other of the table over which thearticles to be marked are conveyed. A vertical shaft is mounted in theframe and has arms extending radially from the upper and lower ends ofthe shaft to carry the structure for supporting the die or markingwheel. The supporting struc:

ture for the marking wheel includes a spindle threadably' mounted at itslower end in the free end of the lower radial arm so that rotation ofthe spindle will effect verti cal adjustment of the latter, and adriving sleeve rotatable on the spindle and movable vertically with thelatter. The marking wheel is in the form of a sleeve fitting removablyover the driving sleeve from above, and the upper radial arm carries arotatable and axially movable socket for receiving the upper end of thespindle so that rotation of the socket produces the desired verticaladjustment of the spindle, driving sleeve and marking wheel.

The support for the metering roll of the ink supplying system includes ahollow vertical shaft journalled in bearings carried by the frame, witha suitable gear being affixed to its lower end to be driven from theassociated conveyor. An axially fixed, but relatively rotatable sleeveis telesc-oped over the hollow shaft and has a wide gear fixed. thereonat a level below the conveyor table which meshes with a relativelynarrow gear fixed to the driving sleeve of the marking Wheel and havinga pitch diameter equal to the diameter of the marking wheel so thatnoisy compound gears are avoided and the gears retain their meshingengagement even during vertical adjustment of the marking wheel. Thesleeve of the support for the metering rollhas internal, axiallyextending grooves receiving the opposite ends of a pin passing throughhelical slots formed in the hollow shaft, and a plunger isreciprocatable Within the hollow shaft and secured to the pin-foreffecting vertical displacement of the latter in re sponse to the manualactuation of adjusting means pro-v vided at the top of the frame. Thus,the sleeve canfbe angularly adjusted relative to the hollow shaft duringthe operation of the apparatus to register the markings with respect tothe articles on the conveyor in the direction of movement of thearticles.

Further, a preferred embodiment of the invention employs manuallyactuable adjusting means for reciprocating the above mentioned plungerof the marking register, wherein the adjusting means is constructed andarranged so that the sameparts and assemblies can be used in markingapparatus disposed at opposite sides of the conveyor path.

The ink supplying system of apparatus embodying the invention includes ahousing removably mounted as a unit upon the frame and incorporating agear pump in the lower portion thereof below an ink reservoir, whichis'defined in the housing, and an ink supplying roll rotatable about avertical axis for rolling contact with the metering roll when thehousing is mounted on the frame. Meshing gears on the shaft of the inksupplying roll and on the hollow shaft of the metering roll are providedfor rotating the ink supplying roll, and the gear pump is driven by agear transmission from the shaft of the ink supplying roll. An inkdelivering pipe extends upwardly within the housing from the outlet ofthe ink pump and discharges adjacent the upper portion of the surface ofthe ink supplying roll, and the housing includes a sump extending underthe line of contact of the ink supplying and metering rolls to collectthe excess ink which flows off the rolls at this point.

. V Marking apparatus embodying the present invention is preferablyfurther characterized by Wiper assemblies in contact with the upper endsof the ink supplying and metering rolls and with the lower end of themetering roll to prevent the build-up of ink on the contacted endsurfaces, while the lower end of the ink supplying roll extends belowthe lower end of the metering roll into the sump structure so that theexcess ink pours off the lower end of the ink supplying roll and radialscattering thereof is prevented by the side walls of the sump structure.

7 The foregoing, and other projects, features and advantagesof theinvention will be apparent in the following description of anillustrative embodiment when it is read n connection with theaccompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and wherein:

. Fig. l is a top plan view of marking apparatus embodymg the presentinvention with only so much of an associated article conveyor beingillustrated as is necessary to an understanding of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the marking apparatus of Fig. l,but with the associated conveyor being broken away to expose theconstructional features of the marking apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus taken along theline 3-3 of Fig. l, but on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 IS a vertical sectional view of the apparatus taken along theline 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detailed elevational view, partly broken away and insection, of a portion of the assembly shown in Fig. 3 for registeringthe impression applied by the markmg wheel;

Fig. 6 is an end elevational view of the marking apparatus embodying theinvention, but with the parts disposed for removal and replacement ofthe marking wheel thereof;

Fig. 7 is an elevational view, partly broken away and in section, of themetering roll supporting structure and adjacent elements in anotherembodiment of the invention;

rig. 8 is an elevational view of a lower wiping member included in theembodiment of Fig. 7;

'Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional View, taken along the line 99 of Fig.7 but on a reduced scale;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary top plan view of a further embodiment of theinvention; and

Fig. ii is a fragmentary vertical sectional view 'of an ink feeding pipein still another embodiment of the invention.

keferring to the drawings in detail, and initially to Figs.

1 to 6, inclusive, thereof, marking apparatus embodying the presentinvention is there shown and generally identified by the referencenumeral 10. Marking apparatus 10 is intended to mark one or the other ofthe side surfaces of each article in a succession of articles, cartons,boxes and the like, being advanced along a horizontal path past themarking apparatus by a suitable conveyor mechanism which is generallyidentified in Figs. 1 and 2 by the reference numeral 12. The conveyormechanism 12 may, for example, include a horizontal table 14 (Fig. 1)having lateral guides 16 for the articles arranged along the op positesides thereof and provided with at least one longitudinal slot 18through which successive pushers 20 project upwardly while moving alongthe upper run of a related endless chain 22 carrying the pushers forengagement with the trailing ends of successive articles on the supportsurface or table 14. The chain 22 meshes with a driving sprocket 24adjacent one end of table 14 and with an idler sprocket (not shown)adjacent the opposite end of the table. The driving sprocket 24 ismounted on a drive shaft 26 which is driven, for example, by a chain andsprocket transmission 28, from an electric motor 30. It is to beunderstood that the briefly described conveyor mechanism forms no partof the present invention, apart from its association with the markingapparatus 10, and that any suitable conveyor mechanism may be employedin place thereof for advancing the successive articles past the markingapparatus in the direction of the arrows 32 on Figs. 1 and 2.

The marking apparatus 10 includes a frame for mounting upon structuralelements of the conveyor mechanism adjacent one side or the other of thetable 14. The frame preferably includes two spaced apart vertical sidemembers 34 and 36 (Fig. 4) which are joined by upper and lowercross-members 38 and 40, respectively. A flange 42 extends normal toside member 36 for mounting, as by bolts 44, on a suitable supportingplate 45, shown in broken lines on Fig. 4, which forms a part of theframe structure of the conveyor mechanism. The opposite side member 34,facing toward the path of travel of the articles, is preferably securedto a structural element of the conveyor mechanism below the level of thetable 14, as at 46 (Figs. 2 and 4).

Marking apparatus 10 comprises a die or marking wheel, generallyidentified by the reference numeral 48 (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6), which issupported on the above described frame for rotation about a verticalaxis by support structure including a vertical shaft 50 journalled atits upper and lower ends in the frame cross-members 38 and 40. A curvedarm 52 extends radially from the lower end of shaft 50 and is fixed tothe latter below the cross-member 40. At its free end, curved arm 52 isformed with a bush or head 54 having a vertical tapped bore extendingtherethrough to receive the lower threaded end 56 of a marking wheelspindle 58 (Fig. 3). A collar 60 is secured on spindle 58 immediatelyabove threaded portion 56, and the spindle carries bushings 62 ofantifriction bearing material at locations above collar 60 and adjacentthe upper end, respectively. A driving sleeve 64 is rotatably mounted onspindle 58 in contact with bushings 62 and, at its lower end, issecured, as at 66, to a relatively narrow spur gear 68 for rotation withthe latter. The driving sleeve 64 is formed with an annular shoulder 70defining an upwardly facing seat for supporting the lower end of themarking wheel 48 and having a coupling pin 72 projecting axiallytherefrom to be received in a selected one 72a of a series of angularlyspaced apart radial grooves formed in the lower end of the marking wheelstructure for providing a driving connection between the driving sleeveand the marking wheel thereon.

As :seen in .Fig. 3, the marking wheel 48 includes a cylindrical,openended shell 74 formed to removably telescope over the sleeve 64 fromabove and to rest, at its lower end, against the shoulder 70, and amarking die,

8 element or elements 76 suitably secured, as by interlocking members(not shown), to the outer surface of the shell.

The upper end of spindle 58 projects from driving sleeve 64 and markingwheel 48 mounted thereon and is supported by a vertical plunger 78having an enlarged head 88 at its lower end formed with a downwardlyopening vertical bore 82 for receiving the upper end of the spindle. Thehead 86 has a pin 84 extending diametrically therein through the bore 82to be received in a diametric, corresponding groove formed in the upperend surface of the spindle for providing a rotational coupling betweenplunger 78 and spindle 64. Plunger 78 is provided with a suitable knob86 at its upper end for manual rotation thereof, and the plunger isrotatably and axially movable within a vertical bore formed adjacent thefree end of a support arm 88 which extends radially from the upper endof shaft 50 above cross-member 38. As seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 6, the freeend of arm 88 is longitudinally slotted, as at 98, to the boreaccommodating plunger 78, and a clamping screw 82 extends laterallythrough the slotted end of the arm for clamping or releasing the plunger78. The end of arm 88 mounted on shaft 58 is formed with an upstandinghollow boss which is rotatably and axially movable on the shaft, and thelatter is provided with a diametrically extending pin 94 (Fig. 4)receivable in suitable downwardly opening notches (not shown) in thelower surface of arm 88 to align the arm 88 at the top of shaft 50 withthe arm 52 extending radially from the lower end of that shaft so thatthe plunger 78 is then axially aligned with the spindle 58 to receivethe upper end of the latter in the bore 82 of head 80. A clamping screw86 having a suitable knob on the head end thereof is threaded axiallyinto the upper end of shaft 58 to prevent upward movement of arm 88 andthereby to retain pin 94 in the corresponding notches of that arm.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that the marking wheel 48 isrotatably supported at the top and bottom thereof to avoid the need fora heavy and accurately machined support member as is usually requiredwhen the marking wheel is supported either at the top or at the bottomthereof, as in existing marking apparatus. Further, when it is desiredto adjust the vertical location of the inked markings applied to thesuccessive articles, the I clamping screw 92 is loosened to permitrotation and vertical movement of the plunger 78. Then, plunger 78 isrotated, in one direction or the other, with such rotation beingcommunicated to spindle 58 by engagement of pin 84 in the correspondingnotch of the spindle. When the spindle is rotated, the threaded lowerend 56 screws into or out of the head 54 of the lower arm 52 to efiectvertical movement of the spindle and with it, of the marking wheel 48.When the marking wheel has been vertically adjusted to its desiredlocation, the clamping screw 92 is again tightened to prevent furtherrotation or vertical movement of the plunger 78 and of the spindle 58.

When the marking wheel 48 is to be removed for replacement by anothermarking wheel, for example, when changing the imprint or the color ofthe ink, the clamping screw 82 is loosened and the plunger 78 is raiseduntil the head 88 is clear of the upper end of spindle 58. Then clampingscrew 96 is loosened and arm 88 is raised to tree pin 94 from thecorresponding notches of arm 88 so that the latter can be angularlydisplaced relative to shaft 58 and lower arm 52, as shown in Fig. 6,thereby swinging the plunger 78 and its head out of axial alignment withthe spindle 58 to permit the marking wheel 48 to be lifted, as indicatedby the arrow on Fig. 6, off its supporting structure. Thus, the markingwheel can be replaced, and the above procedure is reversed in order toagain support the spindle at its upper end and prevent upward movementof the replaced marking wheel. Since the marking wheel 48 is made uponly of the shell 74 and marking element 76, it is apparent that thereplaceable marking wheels are simple and inexpensive to reduce the costof maintaining a supply of such wheels for replacement purposes. Ifdesired, a helical spring 79 may be provided on plunger 78 between arm88 and head 80 to yieldably urge the plunger downwardly to a position inwhich the top end of spindle 58 is received in bore 82 with the pin 84seating in the corresponding groove at the top of the spindle.

The marking apparatus 10 further includes a metering roll 98 mounted inthe apparatus frame for rotation about a vertical axis in rolling andink transferring contact with the marking wheel 48. The support formetering roll 98 includes a vertical, hollow shaft 100 which issupported at its upper and lower ends in ball bearings 102 mounted inthe frame cross-members 38 and 40. A sleeve 104 is disposed on hollowshaft 100 and is rotatably displaceiable relative to the latter, withthe metering roll 98 being secured on the sleeve 104. A relatively wideor broad faced spur gear 106 is fixed on the lower end of sleeve 184 ata location below the level of table 14 (Fig. 4), and meshes with thenarrow gear 68 to drive the latter, with the meshing engagement of thegears being maintained during the vertical adjustment of the markingwheel. Since the gears 68 and 106 are disposed below the level ofconveyor table 14, such gears can have pitch diameters equal to thediameters of marking wheel 48 and metering roll 98, respectively,without interfering with marking of articles on the table. Thus, theusual compound gearing required in existing apparatus between gears onthe metering roll and marking wheel above the level of the conveyor pathto provide the same peripheral speeds at the marking wheel and meteringroll can be eliminated to avoid the noisy operation resulting from suchcompound gearing.

At its lower end below the cross-member 40, hollow shaft 188 has a bevelgear 108 fixed thereto and meshing with a bevel gear 110 (Figs. 3 and 4)which is fixed to a horizontal shaft 112 journalled in the lowerportions of vertical frame members 34- and 36. In order to synchronizethe rotational movement of the metering roll and marking wheel with themovement of the articles on the conveyor 12, the shaft 112 is preferablydriven from the conveyor. For example, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 ofthe drawings, a sprocket 114 may be fixed on shaft 112 and driven by anendless chain 116 which also passes over a sprocket 118 fixed on thedriving shaft 26 of the conveyor. Thus, by selecting the proper ratiosfor the gears 188 and 118 and for the sprockets 114 and 118, theperipheral speeds or" the metering roll and marking Wheel can be thesame as the linear speed of the articles advanced by the conveyor toavoid blurring of the inked impressions.

in accordance with the invention, marking apparatus 18 includes anarrangement for registering or shifting the location of the appliedmarking on the article in the direction of movement of the latter on theconveyor 12 during operation of the marking apparatus. Such regisrationis achieved by angularly shifting the hollow shaft 1th), having the gear108 thereon which is driven from the conveyor, relative to the sleeve184 which has the gear 106 fixed thereon and meshing with the gear 68 onthe driving sleeve 64 carrying the marking wheel. Referring to Figs. 3and 5, it will be seen that a plunger 120 is disposed within hollowshaft and carries a pin 122 which extends diametrically through helicalslots 124 formed in the hollow shaft 108 with the opposite ends of pin122 projecting slidably into axially extending grooves 126 formed in theinternal surface of the sleeve 184. Thus, axial movement of plunger 128within shaft 188 is converted into an angular displacement relative tothe shaft by the cooperative action of pin 122 and helical slots 124,and this angular displacement is transmitted to sleeve 104 by theengagement of the ends of pin 122 in grooves 126.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6,inclusive, the axial movement of plunger 120 within hollow shaft 100 iseffected by an adjustment screw 128 threadably extending through theupper cross-member 38 of the apparatus frame and projecting loosely intothe upper end of hollow shaft 100, with an anti-friction ball 130 beinginterposed between the end of screw 128 and the upper end of plunger120. A spring 132 is interposed between the lower end of plunger 120 andan adjustable plug 134 engaged threadably in the lower end portion ofhollow shaft 100 for varying the compression of spring 132 whichyieldably urges the plunger upwardly toward the screw 128. A lock-nut136 is provided on screw 128 (Fig. 3) to engage against the top surfaceof cross-member 38 for holding the screw 128 in its adjusted position.

The helical slots 124 are arranged so that the ends of the pin 122 tendto move toward the upper ends of the slots during operation of themachine with such movement of the pin being resisted by the screw 128acting through ball 130 against the upper end of plunger 120. Thus, inthe illustrated marking apparatus, which is intended to mark theleft-hand side surfaces of the successive articles on conveyor 12, themarking wheel 48 is rotated in the counter-clockwise direction, asviewed from above in Fig. l, and the metering roll 98 rotates in theclockwise direction, with the helical slots 124 being inclined upwardlyin the counter-clockwise direction, as shown on Fig. 5. However, inmarking apparatus intended for marking the right-hand side surfaces ofthe successive articles on the conveyor, the marking wheel and meteringroll would rotate in the direction opposite to those given above for theillustrated apparatus, and the helical slots 124 in the hollow shaft 100will incline upwardly in the direction opposite to the rotation of themetering roll, that is, in the clockwise direction.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 7,wherein the parts corresponding to those included in the first describedembodiment are identified by the same reference numerals, the axialmovement of the plunger 120 within the hollow shaft 100 is effected byan adjustment device constructed and arranged for use, without change,in marking apparatus intended for marking the opposite sides of articleson the conveyor. This preferred adjustment device includes an internallythreaded, open-ended cylindrical member 111 formed with an outwardlydirected flange 113 which is secured, as by the machine screws 115, onthe upper cross-member 38 of the apparatus frame with the axis of member111 in alignment with the axis of plunger 120.

An externally threaded. hollow screw member 117 is engaged withincylindrical member 111 and, at its lower end, carries a combinationradial-tl1rust hearing 119 with the inner race of that hearing beingsecured to the upper end of plunger 120. Thus, when the hollow screw member 117 is raised or lowered by rotation thereof relative to the fixedmember 111, such vertical movement of member 117 positively raises andlowers the plunger 120 to vary the location of pin 122 in the helicalslot (not shown on Fig. 7) of the hollow shaft 100. By reason of thepositive actuation of the plunger 128 in both the upward and downwarddirections, the spring 132 and screw abutment 134 of Fig. can beeliminated in the embodiment of Fig. '7, and the helical slots in thehollow shaft 100 can be inclined in the same direction in markingapparatus designed to mark either of the opposite sides of the articles.

In order to facilitate adjusting rotation of the hollow screw member117, the latter is preferably provided with an outwardly directed rim orflange 121 at its upper end having a knurled peripheral surface, and alocking ring or nut 123 is screwed upon the outer surface of member 117to bear upon the upper edge of member 111 for holding the hollow screwmember in its adjusted ,position.

Preferably, the helical slots 124 have a sufficient extension in thecircumferential direction to provide at least a thirty degree angulardisplacement of the marking wheel 48 during movement of pin 122 alongthe length of the helical slots, while the radial grooves 72a in thebottom end surface of the shell 74 of the marking wheel are angularlyspaced apart by fifteen degrees. In preparing the apparatus for markingof articles on the conveyor, the marking wheel 48 is mounted on thedriving shell 64 with pin 72 engaging in a selected one of the radialgrooves 72a which locates the wheel for marking at approximately thedesired location on the successive articles. Initially, the plunger isvertically disposed for locating the pin 122 at approximately thecenters of the helical slots 124 and, during the initial marking of thearticles, the screw 128 or 117, as the case may be, is manually rotatedin one direction or the other, to either raise or lower plunger 120 asrequired, and thereby to angularly displace driven sleeve 104 relativeto hollow shaft 100 which is in turn driven from the conveyor. Suchangular displacement of sleeve 104, independent of movement of theconveyor 12 is communicated to sleeve 64, carrying the marking wheel, bymeshing gears 68 and 106 to adjust the location of the markings on thearticles.

The above described structure for supporting and driving the markingwheel is adapted to conveniently accommodate marking wheels of differentdiameters so that a larger diameter wheel can be employed when arelatively long legend is to be applied to the sides of the articles orwhen relatively long articles are to be marked or the distance betweensuccessive pushers 20 on the conveyor chains is relatively great. Inchanging the marking wheel to one having a different diameter, it isonly necessary, insofar as the drive for the marking wheel is concerned,to change the gear 63 to a gear having a pitch diameter which is thesame as the diameter of the new marking wheel. Since shaft 50 carryingarms 52 and 88 (Figs. 4 and 6) is rotatable in the apparatus frame, thearms 52 and 83 can be angularly displaced to provide the desired rollingcontact between the new marking wheel and the metering roll. In order toadjustably hold the marking Wheel in rolling contact with the meteringroll and in position to mark the successive articles, the shaft 50 has alever or arm 138 fixed thereto, and two adjustment screws 140 and 142(Fig. l) extend threadably through frame member 36 to bear against arm138 at opposite sides of the axis of shaft 50. Thus, by adjusting screws140 and 142, the shaft 50, and with it the arms 52 and 58, can beangularly displaced to accommodate marking wheels of different diameterson the driving sleeve 64.

The marking apparatus 1t) embodying the present invention also includesa removable component for supplying ink to the metering roll 98. Thisremovable component is generally identified by the reference numeral 144and includes a housing 146 having lugs 148 and 150 (Fig. 3) extendingfrom the top and bottom, respectively, thereof for pivotal mounting uponthe upper cross-member 38 and the lower cross-member 40 of the apparatusframe. An upstanding pin 152, shown in broken lines on Fig. 3, extendsfrom cross-member 40 to pivotally support lug 150, while a bolt 154extends downwardly through lug 143 and is threaded into cross-member 33in axial alignment with the pin A vertical shaft 150 is journalled insuitable bearings 153 in the top and bottom of housing 146 with its axisspaced from the axes of pin 1.52 and bolt 154 and carries an inksupplying roll 1.69 preferably provided with a I resilient, for example,rubber, outer layer, for rolling contact with the metering roll 93. Atits upper end, shaft 156 has a gear 162 fixed thereto and meshing with agear .164 fixed on the upper end portion of hollow shaft 100 carryingthe metering roll so that the ink supplying roll is driven, from, and insynchronism with, the metering roll 98.

A lower po rtion of housing 146 defines an ink reservoir 1 66 anda' gearpump housing 168 is secured to-the bottom ofhousing 146 below thereservoir. The gear pump housing 168 accommodates two meshingpumpinggears 170 and 172, and the bottom of housing 146 is'providedwithan inlet opening (not shown), through Which-ink enters the pump housing168 from the reservoir 166, and an outlet opening 174 (Fig. 3), throughwhich the ink ispumped by the action of meshing gears 170 and l 7-2"-when.the latter are rotated. An ink supplying pipe 176-extends upwardlyfrom the opening 174 and is bent laterally atritsupper end, as at 178,to discharge the pumpediinkrin the form of a stream against the upperportion of the ink supplying roll 160. As seen in Fig. 3,theopening,-174 and the interior of pipe 176 preferably formxaysmoothand continuous surface to avoid any internaliroughnessor projectionswhich might catch the ink pigme lttandgcventually cause clogging of theink supplying line.v

In, order to provide a selfrcontained unit driven-entirely from.theaassociated conveyor 12, the, pump gears 170 and;;17;2;are.preferablyconnectfi s by suitable gears, to th Q SIIIQftQIS G fOI rotation withthe-latter. For example, .as shown-in-the drawings, shaft 188 carryingpump. gear 1 7 2,ex tends,out of the pump. ho usi ng,168 through asuitable,packing gland.182 and, at;its.lower end, has a gear, 8,4;fixedthereto in meshing engagement withagear 186 fixed to thedowerend ofshaft 156 projecting down- .wardlyjrornzhousing146. A shroud 188 extendsaround shaft.1 56 to;a,point above the level of the ink in reservoir 166andinto the hollowed-out lower portion of roll 160 to prevent .the fiowof splashed ink down into the lower of the bearings 158. The housing 146is open atone side to permit-rolling contact of roll 168 with meteringroll 98 and the lower portion of housing 146, at the open side ofthedatter, islformed with a collecting sump 190 F ig, 3) for'receivingthe excess ink pouring from the rolls' 98;aud 1618 at their line ofcontact and for returning the excess ink tothe reservoir 166.

Thehousing 146 is preferably spring urged about the swinging axisdefinedby pin 152 andbolt 154 toa-position inwhich gear 162n1'eshes withgear 164-ofthe metering roll assembly and the ink supplyingroll-169 isin rolling contact with'the' metering-roll 98. For example, as

shown in Fig. 1, a spring 192 can be removably connected-at-o ne endto asuitable anchor on the topofcross: member 38 and atits otherend to anadjustable screw 194-extended1 threadably throughna lug 196 (Fig. 2)xonthetop of'housing146'to yieldably urge the latter to swing in" thedirection approaching roll 160 toward: roll 98.

Further, an adjustable stop, whichtmay be in thefor-m of anadjustablescrew. 198 carried by housing 146 to engage againstanabutment 26M)ontheapparatus frame, ispreferably provided to limit the spring urgedswingingof housing 146-and hence. the contactof roll160 with roll 98.

In operation, the pump gears170and 172' are driven 1. ma speedsufiicient. to pump theink through pipe 176 at a. ratevfar in. excess ofthe rate required for coating of themetering roll 98. The pumped ink isdischarged againstainlc' supplyingroll 168 at a location spacerlcircumfereutially. from the line of contact, of thatroll withthetmetering roll, 98 andiscarried by the ink supplying I'QllgtQ-jthc'ltlineof contact while being gravitationally distrihpted; inthe axialdirection. At the line of contact ohm-ll168;,withn'oll 98, the ink issqueezed betweenthe rubber, surfaced-f roll16t) and the surface of themeter- ,ing, roll wi'tlra film, ofink being, deposited on the latter.

Preferably, the surface of the metering roll 98 is etched or otherwiseroughened so that ink is collected in the depressions thereof. Thethickness of the ink film deposited on the metering roll 98 isdetermined to some ex- "tent by the contact pressure between rolls 98and .168,

which is dependent uponthe tension in spring 192 and the setting of stopscrew 198, the hardness or softness of the rubber outer layer of-the inksupplying roll 160, and

the depths of the depressions in the surface of roll 98. The excess ink,that is, the ink poured against roll 160:in excess of that required forthe film deposited on roll98, forms a heavy head in back of the line ofcontact between the rolls 160 and 98, and this head acts as a solvent toclean away dried ink on the surface of roll 98 when the apparatus isinitially operated after a period of inactivity or after a change in thecolor of the ink. The excess ink of the bead drops into the collectingsump. 190 and is returned by the latter to the reservoir 166, while inkfilm deposited on metering roll 98 is transferred tothe markingelementorelements on the peripheryv ofmarking wheel 48 which applies thedesired markings to the side ing out the ink reservoir, pump, supplyhles a .ink; therein, Such removal, is. conveniently accom bolt154topermit, housing 146tto. be swung on pivot pin surfaces ofthesuc'cessive articles on conveyor 12.

Preferably, wipers are provided in contact with the upper ends of theink supplying roll 160 and metering roll 98 to prevent the build-up ofink above-the. line of contact of such rolls, and with the lower end ofthe metering roll 98 to prevent the carrying of ink on the lowerendsurface of that roll beyond the range of the collecting sump 190. Forexample, as seen in Figs. 7 and 9, an upper wiper 202- includes aleather pad 204 carried by an arm 2 06 of resilient metal which ismounted, as at 208, upon one or the other of the flanks 210 of the pumphousing 146 at the sidesof the opening of the latter so that the pad 204is resiliently urged into contact with the upper end surfaces oftherolls 98 and 160. Further, by Way of: example, a lower wiper 212(Figs. 7 and 8). preferably formed, of leather is mounted adjustably, asby, the screws 2 14 engaging in elongated slots 216, upon the upstandingwall of. sump 190 to engage the lower end ,surface of metering roll 98.at a, raised upper edge portion 218 ofthe Wiper. While the, Wipers 20,2and 21 2 h ave been illustrated in connection with the. embodiment of35;

Fig. 7, it is to be, understood that they may besimilarlyappliedtome-embodiment ofFigs. 1 to 6. Further, the-.lower endoflink supplying roll 160, preferably extends below the lower end ofroll 98;,sothatthe excess ink primarily-flowsoff the roll 160 which isshielded, atits lower end by the upstanding wall of sump-190, and radialscattering ofithe excessink is intercepted bythesump In order to, savethe time usually require for. cleanlikewhen thecolor of the ink is to,be. chan ,ed, t;l ie ,ink

be removed as, a unit from the. remainder of the apparatus and replacedby a similar component having thedesired bycletaching spring. 192 at oneof.its ends. and r 152until sump 190,;is clear of the metering roll 98,after which, the component 144 is lifted to free lug 150.from its pivotpin 15 2. The. reverse procedure can then be followed in installing thenew ink supplying component in operative position, on the apparatusframe.

Whenthe apparatus is.inactive for a substantial period, the stop screw198; can be extendedagainst abutment 200 a distance sufficient to spacerubber covered roll from metering, roll 98; so that thelrubber outerlayer of roll will be relieved of the normal contact pressure to avoidthe forming of an indentation in the surface of roll 168, by rea'scnorthe continuous application of such pressure at thesamelocation,

It is apparent-that the ink supplying component 144 esc-ribed' above-andembodyingthe presentinvention provides a compact assembly with the otherelements ofiapparatus 10 and avoids the separate pump driving motor andextended ink supplying pipes which clutter the area around the markingstation in the existing apparatus c-f the describedcharacter.

In Fig. 10, an alternative and preferred: arrangement isillustratedffor.yieldably urging the housing 146 toswing about theaxisdefined by pin 152; and; bolt 154 we position in which, gear 162 mesheswith gear 164 and the ink supplying; roll 160-is in rolling-contact withthe metering roll 98. This preferred arrangement includes a plate 220secured to housing 146 and extending beyond the latter. Adjacent itsfree end, plate 220 is formed with an opening into which a bolt 222 isadapted to extend. A helical compression spring 224 is provided on bolt222 between an adjustment nut 226 which is threaded on the bolt and anabutment 228 which is slidable on the bolt and retained on the latter bya stop ring 230 at the end of bolt 222. The abutment 228 has a diameterlarger than that of the opening in plate 220 to bear against the latterand thereby to transmit the resilient force of spring 224 to plate 220.

The bolt 222 is pivotally supported, as at 232, upon a rotatable settingmember 234 which is carried by a fixed support 236. A handle 238 extendsfrom setting member 234 to facilitate angular displacement of thelatter, and a fixed stop 240 is disposed in the path of handle 238 tolimit the angular displacement of the handle and of member 234 in onedirection to a position in which the pivoting axis of the connection ofbolt 222 to member 234 is slightly beyond a line drawn through thecenter of member 234 parallel to the axis of bolt 222.

It is apparent that rotation of member 234 in the counter-clockwisedirection from the position shown in Fig. through approximately 90, willserve to withdraw bolt 222 from plate 220 so that the pressure of spring224, is removed from the plate 220 to permit swinging of housing 146until the sump 190 thereof is clear of the metering roll 98. However,during operation of the machine, the force of spring 224 adjusted by nut226, acts through abutment 228 and plate 220 to bring about the desiredcontact between the ink supplying and metering rolls, and the reactionof the spring force, when the member 234 is operatively positioned, asin Fig. l0, urges the member 234 to rotate in the clockwise direction,thereby to hold handle 238 against stop 240.

Further, while the ink supplying pipe 176 of the embodiment of theinvention shown in Fig. 3 is in one piece and contained wholly withinhousing 146, the ink supplying pipe is preferably formed of a rigidsection 176a, which extends up from the opening 174, and a flexiblesection 176b which is connected to the upper end of the rigid section,as shown in Fig. 11. The flexible section 176b extends from the rigidsection out of housing 146 through a first opening 146a and then backinto the housing through a second opening 146k so that, duringoperation, a loop of the flexible section is disposed outside of thehousing and can be manipulated to vary the distance between thedischarge end of the flexible section and the surface of the inksupplying roll 160. It is also apparent that, with the preferredarrangement of Fig. 11, the upper endportion of flexible section 176])can be withdrawn from the housing 146 and directed downwardly, as shownin broken lines at 176b, to discharge the ink into a suitable receptacle(not shown) when it is necessary to empty the reservoir 166.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has beendescribed in detail herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,merely by way of example, it is to be understood that the invention isnot limited to that precise embodiment, and that various changes andmodifications can be effected therein without departing from the scopeor spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In marking apparatus of the described character having a frame formounting adjacent a side of an article conveyor, a marking wheel, ametering roll, means mounting said metering roll in said frame forrotation about a vertical axis and means for supplying ink to themetering roll; means mounting said marking wheel on the frame forrotation about a vertical axis in rolling contact with the metering rolland in marking contact with the adjacent side surface of successivearticles on the conveyor and including a vertical shaft mounted in saidframe for rotation about an axis spaced from the axis of the meteringroll, upper and lower support arms extending radially from said shaft, asupport spindle extending upwardly from the free end of said lower arm,a rotatable sleeve on said spindle, said marking wheel being formed totelescope over said sleeve from above, a plunger extending down fromsaid upper arm and movable vertically relative to the latter, saidplunger having a head at the lower end thereof formed to extend over theupper end of said spindle to retain said marking wheel on said rotatablesleeve, means securing one of said upper and lower arms against swingingrelative to said shaft, releasable means for securing the other of saidarms relative to said shaft in a positoin aligning said plunger withsaid spindle so that, after said plunger has been raised to free saidspindle from said head of the plunger and upon release of the lastmentioned means, said upper and lower arms can be swung relative to eachother to displace the axis of said plunger from said spindle and therebyto permit the upward removal of the marking wheel from said sleeve, andadjustable means for rotationally positioning said vertical shaft withrespect to said frame so that said shaft and both of said support armscan be swung relative to said frame to accommodate marking wheels ofdifferent diameters in rolling contact with said metering roll.

2. In marking apparatus of the described character; mounting means forthe marking wheel according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of saidspindle is screwed into said lower arm to effect axial movement of saidspindle, sleeve and marking wheel in response to rotation of saidspindle and said plunger is rotatable in said upper arm, and includingdetachable coupling means in said head and at the upper end of saidspindle to transmit manual rotation of said plunger to said spindle foreffecting the vertically axial adjustment of said marking wheel.

3. In marking apparatus of the described character; mounting means forthe marking wheel according to claim 2, further including releasablemeans for clamping said plunger in said upper arm to prevent axialmovement and rotation of said plunger relative to said upper arm.

4. In marking apparatus of the described character having a frame formounting adjacent a side of an article conveyor, a marking wheel mountedon the frame for rotation about a vertical axis in marking contact withthe adjacent side surfaces of successive articles on the conveyor and ametering roll to which ink is supplied for transfer to the markingwheel; the combination of means mounting the metering roll in said framefor rotation about a vertical axis in rolling contact with the markingwheel and including a hollow vertical shaft journalled in said frame,means for rotating said vertical shaft in synchronism with theadvancement of articles on the conveyor, 2. driving sleeve carrying saidmetering roll and fitting over said vertical shaft, said sleeve beingrotatable relative to said shaft, means coupling said sleeve to saidshaft including a plunger rotatable and axially movable in said hollowshaft, said hollow shaft having helical slots therein and said sleevehaving axial grooves in the internal surface thereof, a pin extendingdiametrically through said plunger and said helical slots into saidaxial grooves so that vertical movement of said plunger within saidhollow shaft produces angular displacement of said sleeve relative tosaid hollow shaft and means for effecting vertical movement of saidplunger, a first gear fixed to said sleeve for rotation and angulardisplacement with the latter, and a second gear rotatable with saidmarking wheel and meshing with said first gear to effect rotation ofsaid marking wheel in synchronism with advancement of articles on theconveyor and to transmit the angular displacement of said sleeverelative 13' to the driven shaft to said marking wheel for registeringthe latter with respect to the articles being marked.

5. In marking apparatus of the described character; the combinationaccording to claim 4,'wherein said means for eifecting vertical movementof said plunger includes an actuating screw threaded through said frameand ex tending axially into the upper portion of said hollow shaft,anti-friction means interposed between the confronting ends of saidactuating screw and plunger, a plug threaded into the lower end portionof said hollow shaft, and resilient means interposed between said plugand the lower end of said plunger to yieldably urge the latter upwardly;and wherein said helical slots in the hollow shaft are inclined upwardlyin the direction counter to the rotation of said hollow shaft so thatthe rotation tends to urge said pin toward the upper ends of said slots.

6. In marking apparatus of the described character; the combinationaccording to claim 4, wherein said means for effecting vertical movementof said plunger includes an internally threaded member fixed on saidframe in axial alignment with said plunger, a screw member threadablyengaging in said internally threaded member and carrying a combinedradial-thrust bearing rotatably connected to said plunger so thatrotation of said screw member raises and lowers said bearing and theplunger connected thereto.

7. In marking apparatus of the described character having a frame formounting adjacent a side of an article conveyor, a marking Wheel mountedon the frame for rotation about a vertical axis in marking contact withthe adjacent side surfaces of successive articles on the conveyor and ametering roll mounted in said frame for rotation about a vertical axisin rolling contact with the marking wheel; an ink supplying componentfor feeding ink to the metering roll including a housing open at oneside and having vertically aligned and spaced lugs extending from oneside for engagement from above on related portions of said frame,axially aligned pivot means on said related portions of the frame forpivotally engaging said lugs, a vertical shaft rotatably journalled insaid housing and carrying ink supplying roll, said vertical shaft beingdisposed at a location spaced laterally from the axes of said pivotmeans and projecting said ink supplying roll through said open side ofthe housing for rolling contact with said metering roll, said housingfurther having an ink collecting sump extending from said one sidethereof for disposition under the line of contact of said ink supplyingroll with said metering roll to catch ink dripping from said line ofcontact, means for discharging ink from said sump against said inksupplying roll, and releasable means for holding said housing againstswinging about said axes of the pivot means in a position contactingsaid ink supplying roll with said metering roll, so that, after the lastmentioned means has been released, said housing can be swung to clearsaid sump from under said metering roll and thereby to permit removal ofsaid housing from said frame by disengagement of said pivot means fromsaid lugs.

8. In marking apparatus of the described character; an ink supplyingcomponent according to claim 7, wherein said pivot means includes apivot pin projecting upwardly from the lower one of said relatedportions of the frame and into the corresponding one of said lugs, and asecuring bolt extending down through the upper one of said lugs andthreaded into the upper one of said related portions of the frame sothat, after said sump clears the metering roll, removal of said securingbolt permits disengagement of said lower lug from said pivot pin bylifting of said housing relative to said frame.

9. In marking apparatus of the described character; an ink supplyingcomponent according to claim 7, wherein said releasable means includes atension spring connected between said frame and housing for yieldablyurging the latter to swing in the direction contacting said inksupplying roll with said metering roll, and further comprisingadjustable stop means on said frame and housing to limit swinging of thelatter in said direct on and thereby to adjustably control the contactof said ink 1 supplying roll with said metering roll.

against said ink supplying roll includes ink pumping means mounted onthe bottom of said housing and having an inlet for receiving inkdirectly from said sump and an outlet for discharging the pumped ink,and an ink conveying pipe in said housing extending from said outlet toa location adjacent the upper portion of said ink supplying roll fordischarging the pumped ink against the latter, said pipe and outlethaving a smooth internal bore to discourage the deposit of pigmentparticles therein and thereby to avoid clogging of the passage for inkfrom said pumping means to the ink supplying roll.

11. In marking apparatus of the described character; an ink supplyingcomponent according to claim 10 in combination with means for rotatingsaid metering roll, meshing gears respectively rotatable with saidmetering and ink supplying rolls to transmit rotation of said meteringroll to said ink supplying roll, and means driven by said shaft carryingthe ink supplying roll for actuating said pumping means.

12. In marking apparatus of the described character; the combinationaccording to claim 11, wherein said pumping means includes a pumphousing at the bottom of the first mentioned housing and accommodatingpumping gears in mesh with each other and rotatable about vertical axesand a drive shaft extending from one of said pumping gears out of saidpump housing, and wherein said means for actuating the pumping meansincludes meshing gears on the bottom of said vertical shaft carrying theink supplying roll and on said drive shaft extending from said onepumping gear to transmit the rotation of said ink supplying roll to saidpumping gears.

13. In marking apparatus of the described character; an ink supplyingcomponent according to claim 10, wherein said ink conveying pipeincludes a rigid lower section extending from said outlet and a flexibleupper section extending from said rigid section, said housing having twovertically spaced apart openings in the wall thereof opposite said oneside, said flexible section extending out of said housing through thelower of said openings and then back into the housing through the upperof said openings so that a loop of said flexible section is exposedoutside of the housing to permit manipulation thereof for adjusting thedistance between the discharge end of the ink conveying pipe and thesurface of the ink supplying roll, and so that the flexible section canbe withdrawn from said upper opening to discharge the pumped ink outsideof the housing for emptying said sump.

14. In marking apparatus of the described character; an ink supplyingcomponent according to claim 7, wherein said releasable means includes abolt having a helical compression spring thereon between a nut threadedon the bolt and an abutment slidable on the bolt to bear against thehousing at a location remote from the swinging axis of the latter, and asetting member mounted for angular displacement about a fixed axis andpivotally connected to the other end of said bolt, said setting memberbeing displaceable between an operative position in which said abutmentcontacts the housing and an inoperative position in which said bolt iswithdrawn to remove said abutment from contact with the housing therebyto permit swinging of the latter to the extent necessary to clear saidsump from under said metering roll.

15. In marking apparatus having a frame for mounting adjacent a side ofan article conveyor, a marking wheel mounted on the frame for rotationabout a vertical axis 15 in marking contact with the adjacent sidesurfaces of successive articles on the conveyor and a metering rollmounted in said frame for rotation about a vertical axis in rollingcontact with the marking wheel; an ink supplying component adapted forremovable mounting, as a unit, on the frame and comprising an inksupplying roll for rolling contact with the metering roll, a reservoirfor ink, means for discharging ink from said reservoir against said inksupplying roll, the lower end of said ink supplying roll extending belowthe lower end of said metering roll and said reservoir including an inkcollecting sump having an upstanding wall extending around the portionof said ink supplying roll projecting below said metering roll, andwiping means engaging the upper end surfaces of said ink supplying andmetering rolls to prevent the build-up of excess ink on said upper endsurfaces and engaging the lower end surface of said metering roll toprevent the carrying of ink on said lower end surface beyond the rangeof said upstanding wall of the collecting sump so that radial scatteringof excess ink flowing down- 16 wardly off said ink supplying roll isintercepted by said upstanding wall of the sump.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,689,177 Storck Oct. 23, 1928 1,721,922 Roe July 23, 1929 1,850,802Langston et al Mar. 22, 1932 1,870,700 Von Webern et al. Aug. 9, 19321,973,058 Gangler Sept. 11, 1934 2,046,742 Hemsel July 7, 1936 2,081,906Ball June 1, 1937 2,186,555 Phillips Jan. 9, 1940 2,211,792 Rohland Aug.20, 1940 2,260,402 Potdevin Oct. 28, 1941 2,348,537 Greenwood May 9,1944 2,601,825 Blakey July 1, 1952 2,660,115 Ras Nov. 24, 1953 2,719,484Wardell et al Oct. 4, 1955

